Hobart Zebras v Launceston City

80′ SHOT OFF! Hey with a glorious chance, he snatches at a side volley and skies it over the bar when the goal was beckoning.

75′ SLICE OF CHEESE! O’Connor into the book for hacking Huigsloot to the ground from behind.

Hey has been super out on the right wing today, a great game from the youngster.

68′ GOAL! Huigsloot rounds out his hattrick with another header! A great game for the big midfielder!

63′ SLICE OF CHEESE! Mahony goes into the book for a shocking challenge on Huigsloot.

61′ SAVE! Smith makes a save with his feet to deny the Zebras again.

60′ GOAL! Sanders this time hammers a ripping shot home to make it 3-0. A long free from Groenwolde, flicked on by Huigsloot to Sanders and he rips his left footed volley past on the way back down after the first bounce.

58′ SHOT JUST WIDE! City miss their big chance, Williams gets in behind Groenwolde and stormed into the box but he couldn’t curl his effort on target with only Mercuri left to beat.

Zebras well on top of this game. They’re playing into a strong wind this half and still having all the play.

50′ SAVE! Huigsloot nearly has his hattrick, he powers a booming header on target again and Smith somehow claws it out but its back towards Huigsloots feet and he inexplicably hits the rebound over the top.

49′ GOAL! Huigsloot with a brace! Clever there from him. Sanders bodied a ball to him and Huigsloot chipped it over Smith who was well off his line, used the wind to his advantage there as the ball held up nicely.

47′ OFFSIDE GOAL! McKeown pokes home at the back post after a flicked header landed with Sanders who pivoted and stroked it towards the back post.

SECOND HALF UNDERWAY!

HALF TIME!

44th minute now, no more chances for either side since the goal. Zebras still on top of general play for the most part.

37′ GOAL! There it is finally! Plenty of chances have gone begging but this time Huigsloot slams a booming header home from a Downes corner to make it 1-0.

28′ SHOT OFF! Sanders at the back post heads wide, should have hit the target there!

26′ BLOCK! Huigsloot manufacturers a way forward before cutting a ball back for Hey at around 8 yards out from the goal. He shoots but a City defender slides in to deny him at the last second. Great block.

21′ SHOT OFF! Sanders is put through by a beautiful flick on by McKeown and he rushes his shot, snatching at it when he had a little more time. He drags the effort wide to the right.

17′ CHANCE! City have a great chance to get a ball to the back post after Zebras were caught short, two city players were streaming in alone but Walsh made a vital interception to deny the chance.

16′ GREAT STUFF! Hey goes on a mazy run from the centre of midfield beating three players on his way to the edge of the 18 yard box before unleashing a shot that is blocked.

Into the 16th minute now – not too much has happened since the 8th minute, a bit of prodding and poking from both sides but no chances.

Zebras working their way on top here now for the most part, but they have a pretty strong wind behind them to assist them (or perhaps hinder them when you consider their style of play).

8′ SHOT OFF! A header from Huigsloot goes over from all of two yards out. Smith must have just got a touch to that for him to have misjudged that.

7′ NEAR MISS! Downes plays a curling ball to the back post from a free and its nearly prodded home but everyone misses it.

6′ SHOT OFF! Would have backed him in to score that there, Sanders. He is put through alone by a ripping ball by Huigsloot and he shoots wide of the target.

5′ NEAR MISS! Sanders crosses (or shoots? we can’t decide up here!) and it lands just on top of the roof of the net, as Smith back-pedalled to try and make up ground on it.

2′ SHOT OFF! Williams skies a volley well over the bar after an early free kick was then played across to him. Couldn’t get over it. But a bright start for City.

KICK OFF! WE ARE UNDERWAY AT KGV!

Launceston City teamsheet:

Hobart Zebras teamsheet:

Mark ‘Wiggo’ Wakefield bringing you this one live from the KGV today. Haven’t seen City play yet this year so not too sure what to expect, but Zebras on the other hand I’ve seen a couple times now. They look well drilled. City will have to be prepared. Sanders knocking them in for fun lately and their front free, along with Groenewold have been in fine goal scoring form. I have to run and grab the team sheets, back soon with some more analysis.

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The appetite for a professional sporting franchise down here remains as ravenous as ever. Tasmanian’s love their sport and they have been starved of representation in National competitions, looked over time after time. The AFL clearly won’t be the ones to sate that hunger, thus FFA finds itself with the chance to both fill that gap in the market and strike a blow against the AFL in one fell swoop.